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Makoto Shinkai gave anime fans one hit movie after another. FromYour Name, andWeathering with Youto his latest release,Suzume, every film had a groundbreaking debut. But somewhere along the way, the themes of his creations have become repetitive.
Of course, fans have realized it, too. In the highly competitive anime industry, Shinkai needs to come up with refreshing ideas to keep the audience engaged. With a whole new film on its way, it’s the best time for the director to rethink what he wants to portray next.
Makoto Shinkai needs to move away from traditional romance stories
A look at the last few movies ofMakoto Shinkaiwill tell you everything you need to know about the director’s repetitive themes. FromA Garden of Words, Your Name, Weathering with YoutoSuzume, all of these films have the genre of romance embedded into them.
“I don’t think of them as imaginary”: The Real Successor of Hayao Miyazaki Exists to Lead Studio Ghibli and It’s Not Makoto Shinkai
Ina tweetfrom June 23, 2025, the director announced that he has been working on a new movie. He also claimed that he is building a new world that no one has seen before, and the film might be officially announced in 2025. While this is joyous news for Shinkai fans, many are skeptical.
I bet it’s about natural disaster once again
In the latest Shinkai movie,Suzume, the romance between the protagonist and Souta felt extremely forced. Suzume’s crush on Souta was not only unnecessary but also awkward for fans to watch. Thus, fans felt that the director has failed to come out of traditional style, and can no longer step into new themes. All of his last three movies were based on natural disasters, and fans are hoping that the next one won’t be the same.
Shinkai is often called the next Hayao Miyazaki. But if his movies keep serving the same old wine in new bottles, he might lose his status to other budding creators soon.
Makoto Shinkai was forced to maintain a traditional romance plot inSuzume
While fans have been critical of Shinkai for his decision to create a romance between the protagonists in Suzume, very few know that it was completely out of his hands. The movie was originally supposed to have two female protagonists, but the idea was shelved by the movie’s producer.
Makoto Shinkai is Not the Next Hayao Miyazaki, He’s Even Better Where it Truly Matters: ‘We had a massage therapist come into the studio’
Inan interview with Looper, Shinkai himself admitted that he wanted to make the movie about Suzume and another girl going on a journey together, ashe himself felt tired of telling the same old romance story. However,he had to change the plot because his producerwas of the opinion:
“You may be tired of these romantic stories, but your audience loves it.” So in order to not make it too much of a romance, I decided to make her primary interest a chair.
To his credit, Shinkai did as much as possible to fight for his ideas. But once he couldn’t get his way, he took the prettiest way ever and turned the male lead into a chair.Suzumewas supposed to be about humans overcoming something together without caring about the context of male or female. Unfortunately, due to the sudden decision of the producer, his plans were stalled and he once again fell into a stereotype.
Suzumeis currently available to stream on Crunchyroll and Netflix.
Aaheli Pradhan
Anime Content Writer
Articles Published :1556
Aaheli is an Anime Content Writer at FandomWire with 1300+ published articles. With five years of experience under her belt, she is a living, breathing encyclopedia for anime and manga. From Shonen and Shojo to the most niche anime, nothing escapes her radar. Her poisons of choice are Assassination Classroom, Gintama, Ouran High School Host Club and every Ghibli movie ever. She believes in living a slow life, surrounded by incomplete art projects and her beloved cats.
